the memoirs of marie antoinette-第98部分

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ed　　　　　　up；　and　confirmed　M。　de　Laporte's　deposition。　　But　these　　　　　　explanations；　however　satisfactory；　did　not　calm　the　violent　ferment　　　　　　raised　in　the　Assembly　by　this　affair。〃Memoirs　of　Bertrand　de　　　　　　Molleville。〃

Some　time　afterwards　the　Assembly　received　a　denunciation　against　M。　de　Montmorin。　　The　ex…minister　was　accused　of　having　neglected　forty　despatches　from　M。　Genet；　the　charge　d'affaires　from　France　in　Russia；　not　having　even　unsealed　them；　because　M。　Genet　acted　on　constitutional　principles。　　M。　de　Montmorin　appeared　at　the　bar　to　answer　this　accusation。　　Whatever　distress　I　might　feel　in　obeying　the　order　I　had　received　from　the　King　to　go　and　give　him　an　account　of　the　sitting；　I　thought　I　ought　not　to　fail　in　doing　so。　　But　instead　of　giving　my　brother　his　family　name；　I　merely　said　〃your　Majesty's　charge　d'affaires　at　St。　Petersburg。〃

The　King　did　me　the　favour　to　say　that　he　noticed　a　reserve　in　my　account；　of　which　he　approved。　　The　Queen　condescended　to　add　a　few　obliging　remarks　to　those　of　the　King。　　However；　my　office　of　journalist　gave　me　in　this　instance　so　much　pain　that　I　took　an　opportunity；　when　the　King　was　expressing　his　satisfaction　to　me　at　the　manner　in　which　I　gave　him　this　daily　account；　to　tell　him　that　its　merits　belonged　wholly　to　M。　d'Aubier；　and　I　ventured　to　request　the　King　to　suffer　that　excellent　man　to　give　him　an　account　of　the　sittings　himself。　　I　assured　the　King　that　if　he　would　permit　it；　that　gentleman　might　proceed　to　the　Queen's　apartments　through　mine　unseen；　the　King　consented　to　the　arrangement。　　Thenceforward　M。　d'Aubier　gave　the　King　repeated　proofs　of　zeal　and　attachment。

The　Cure　of　St。　Eustache　ceased　to　be　the　Queen's　confessor　when　he　took　the　constitutional　oath。　　I　do　not　remember　the　name　of　the　ecclesiastic　who　succeeded　him；　I　only　know　that　he　was　conducted　into　her　apartments　with　the　greatest　mystery。　　Their　Majesties　did　not　perform　their　Easter　devotions　in　public；　because　they　could　neither　declare　for　the　constitutional　clergy；　nor　act　so　as　to　show　that　they　were　against　them。

The　Queen　did　perform　her　Easter　devotions　in　1792；　but　she　went　to　the　chapel　attended　only　by　myself。　　She　desired　me　beforehand　to　request　one　of　my　relations；　who　was　her　chaplain；　to　celebrate　a　mass　for　her　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　It　was　still　dark；　she　gave　me　her　arm；　and　I　lighted　her　with　a　taper。　　I　left　her　alone　at　the　chapel　door。　She　did　not　return　to　her　room　until　the　dawn　of　day。

Dangers　increased　daily。　　The　Assembly　were　strengthened　in　the　eyes　of　the　people　by　the　hostilities　of　the　foreign　armies　and　the　army　of　the　Princes。　　The　communication　with　the　latter　party　became　more　active；　the　Queen　wrote　almost　every　day。　　M。　de　Goguelat　possessed　her　confidence　for　all　correspondence　with　the　foreign　parties；　and　I　was　obliged　to　have　him　in　my　apartments；　the　Queen　asked　for　him　very　frequently；　and　at　times　which　she　could　not　previously　appoint。

All　parties　were　exerting　themselves　either　to　ruin　or　to　save　the　King。　One　day　I　found　the　Queen　extremely　agitated；　she　told　me　she　no　longer　knew　where　she　was；　that　the　leaders　of　the　Jacobins　offered　themselves　to　her　through　the　medium　of　Dumouriez；　or　that　Dumouriez；　abandoning　the　Jacobins；　had　come　and　offered　himself　to　her；　that　she　had　granted　him　an　audience；　that　when　alone　with　her；　he　had　thrown　himself　at　her　feet；　and　told　her　that　he　had　drawn　the　'bonnet　rouge'　over　his　head　to　the　very　ears；　but　that　he　neither　was　nor　could　be　a　Jacobin；　that　the　Revolution　had　been　suffered　to　extend　even　to　that　rabble　of　destroyers　who；　thinking　of　nothing　but　pillage；　were　ripe　for　anything；　and　might　furnish　the　Assembly　with　a　formidable　army；　ready　to　undermine　the　remains　of　a　throne　already　but　too　much　shaken。　　Whilst　speaking　with　the　utmost　ardour　he　seized　the　Queen's　hand　and　kissed　it　with　transport；　exclaiming；　〃Suffer　yourself　to　be　saved！〃　　The　Queen　told　me　that　the　protestations　of　a　traitor　were　not　to　be　relied　on；　that　the　whole　of　his　conduct　was　so　well　known　that　undoubtedly　the　wisest　course　was　not　to　trust　to　it；

　　　　　＇The　sincerity　of　General　Dumouriez　cannot　be　doubted　in　this　　　　　　instance。　　The　second　volume　of　his　Memoirs　shows　how　unjust　the　　　　　　mistrust　and　reproaches　of　the　Queen　were。　　By　rejecting　his　　　　　　services；　Marie　Antoinette　deprived　herself　of　her　only　remaining　　　　　　support。　　He　who　saved　France　in　the　defiles　of　Argonne　would　　　　　　perhaps　have　saved　France　before　the　20th　of　June；　had　he　obtained　　　　　　the　full　confidence　of　Louis　XVI。　and　the　Queen。NOTE　BY　THE　　　　　　EDITOR。＇

that；　moreover；　the　Princes　particularly　recommended　that　no　confidence　should　be　placed　in　any　proposition　emanating　from　within　the　kingdom；　that　the　force　without　became　imposing；　and　that　it　was　better　to　rely　upon　their　success；　and　upon　the　protection　due　from　Heaven　to　a　sovereign　so　virtuous　as　Louis　XVI。　　and　to　so　just　a　cause。

The　constitutionalists；　on　their　part；　saw　that　there　had　been　nothing　more　than　a　pretence　of　listening　to　them。　　Barnave's　last　advice　was　as　to　the　means　of　continuing；　a　few　weeks　longer；　the　Constitutional　Guard；　which　had　been　denounced　to　the　Assembly；　and　was　to　be　disbanded。　　The　denunciation　against　the　Constitutional　Guard　affected　only　its　staff；　and　the　Duc　de　Brissac。　　Barnave　wrote　to　the　Queen　that　the　staff　of　the　guard　was　already　attacked；　that　the　Assembly　was　about　to　pass　a　decree　to　reduce　it；　and　he　entreated　her　to　prevail　on　the　King；　the　very　instant　the　decree　should　appear；　to　form　the　staff　afresh　of　persons　whose　names　he　sent　her。　　Barnave　said　that　all　who　were　set　down　in　it　passed　for　decided　Jacobins；　but　were　not　so　in　fact；　that　they；　as　well　as　himself；　were　in　despair　at　seeing　the　monarchical　government　attacked；　that　they　had　learnt　to　dissemble　their　sentiments；　and　that　it　would　be　at　least　a　fortnight　before　the　Assembly　could　know　them　well；　and　certainly　before　it　could　succeed　in　making　them　unpopular；　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　take　advantage　of　that　short　space　of　time　to　get　away　from　Paris；　immediately　after　their　nomination。　　The　Queen　was　of　opinion　that　she　ought　not　to　yield　to　this　advice。　　The　Duc　de　Brissac　was　sent　to　Orleans；　and　the　guard　was　disbanded。

Barnave；　seeing　that　the　Queen　did　not　follow　his　counsel　in　anything；　and　convinced　that　she　placed　all　her　reliance　on　assistance　from　abroad；　determined　to　quit　Paris。　　He　obtained　a　last　audience。　　〃Your　misfortunes；　Madame；〃　said　he；　〃and　those　which　I　anticipate　for　France；。　determined　me　to　sacrifice　myself　to　serve　you。　　I　see；　however；　that　my　advice　does　not　agree　with　the　views　of　your　Majesties。　　I　augur　but　little　advantage　from　the　plan　you　are　induced　to　pursue；you　are　too　remote　from　your　succours；　you　will　be　lost　before　they　reach　you。　　Most　ardently　do　I　wish　I　may　be　mistaken　in　so　lamentable　a　prediction；　but　I　am　sure　to　pay　with　my　head　for　the　interest　your　misfortunes　have　raised　in　me；　and　the　services　I　have　sought　to　render　you。　　I　request；　for　my　sole　reward；　the　honour　of　kissing　your　hand。〃　　The　Queen；　her　eyes　suffused　with　tears；　granted　him　that　favour；　and　remained　im